Ellen Hollman Official

Tag: Maxim

They say revenge is a dish best served cold, but in Spartacus: Vengeance , it’s smokin’ hot. Proof? The show’s April 1-born star Ellen Hollman (a.k.a. Saxa) gives us the sword-, scandal-, and sex-filled lowdown.

Ellen Hollman has been a TV regular for years, and you’ve seen her in everything from Malcolm in the Middle to The O.C. to Weeds. She caught our eye in Spartacus and we couldn’t get enough till we tracked her down.

Maxim: Spartacus is a total guy-friendly series. What’s your favorite part about shooting the series, now that you’ve done two?

Ellen: Doing my own stunts and choreographing my own fight scenes. I did a lot of knife training with reverse-grip double daggers. You take two daggers, reverse the grip, and then just fuck shit up, basically.

Maxim: Nice. We also hear you had to flip a 100-kg dude over your head in a scene. How was that?

Ellen: My life may or may not have flashed before my eyes a few times. I was a thrill, though.

Maxim: Glad we didn’t have to do it. Has there been anything on the show you were glad you didn’t have to do?

Ellen: Oh, yeah. My character has dabbled in just about every graphic category across the board, but some people got it worse in the vulgarity department than I did.

Maxim: We hear you. We had Katrina Law–who plays Mira–on our pages some months ago and she felt the same way. For an actor, how does a show like Spartacus compare with other shows or movies that you’ve done?

Ellen: Spartacus stands alone in that it’s like shooting a movie every three weeks for seven months straight. I’ve never experienced anything in my life that’s quite like it.

Maxim: Neither have your fans and the general television-viewing audience. The show has some kick-ass ladies–you know, tough and hot. How has your character, Saxa, evolved over the course of the series?

Ellen: Saxa has gone from feisty kitten to fierce lioness. She’s grown into her paws and is bigger and badder, giving the guys a run for their money.